Musicians and jazz clubs, cast-iron balustrades, façades painted bright pastel colours, flower-decked courtyards... The French Quarter or - Vieux Carré - embodies the essence of New Orleans. Stroll about the historical centre, which covers some 100 blocks, to feel the atmosphere of an ongoing urban musical. With its houses built on land 1.5m above sea level, the neighbourhood was spared the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Let the place work its magic on you.